chortle means A joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle. It carries an Arena rating of 1671, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, chortle ranks #6 of 17,128 for Most Whimsical Words, #7 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,196 of 17,093 for Most Storied Words, #1,590 of 17,114 for Most Satisfying to Say.
chortle is pronounced /ˈt͡ʃɔɹtəl/.
Why “chortle” is a great word
A gleeful, snort-infused laugh that bubbles up with unrestrained delight, coined by Lewis Carroll in 1871 as a blend of 'chuckle' and 'snort' in his novel Through the Looking-Glass. Unlike a chuckle, which is a quieter, more private affair, or a giggle, which is a flighty, nervous sound, the chortle is a burst of hearty, unselfconscious mirth. It is the sound of a punchline landing perfectly among friends, the helpless expulsion of breath at a child’s absurd pronouncement, and the corporeal proof of a joke too good to be contained—a small, perfect rebellion against a world that so often demands we take ourselves seriously. It is joy clearing its throat, half-hidden, wholly alive.
Etymology
Perhaps a blend of chuckle + snort. Coined by Lewis Carroll in his poem Jabberwocky, completed in 1855 but only introduced to the public in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass.
noun
- A joyful, somewhat muffled laugh, rather like a snorting chuckle.e.g.“He frequently interrupted himself with chortles while he told us his favorite joke.”
- A similar sounding vocalisation of various birds.
verb
- To laugh with a chortle or chortles.e.g.“The old fellow chortled as he recalled his youthful adventures.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.